What's pink & fluffy?

Hello my lovelies! How are you all doing on this fine Sunday afternoon? I can't believe we've finally had a sunny winters day, lots of sunshine, frost on the ground and NO rain! I know the weather in Manchester is usually pretty bad (and we Brits love to discuss the weather!) but honestly it was getting ridiculous. So there we are.

Last week I was nominated not once but twice for a blog award! The very lovely Suzanne (Crea in the City) and Hazel (Hazels Crochet) both gave me the Liebster blog award and now I need to nominate 5 other upcoming blogs who have less than 200 followers which I love reading; believe me this is not easy because lots of you are already very popular!!

I've had a good old look through my reading list and I think I've made a good choice. I hope you'll all visit & enjoy their blogs as much as I do :-)

1. Rainbow Bunting
2. Hilly Town Blue
3. Lucy in the Sky
4. According to Matt
5. Aurora Blythe

None of this of course has anything to do with pink fluff! Last week I was hunting around for the yarn I'd bought for my stripy snood and it turns out I have a lot more hiding places for yarn than I thought! I found a few balls I'd forgotten about (woops!) and a load of "pink fluff" that my mum bought to make a scarf. I stole it because I knew she was never going to start (let alone finish) which is ironic because I've only just started it myself...





It's not what I'd usually choose to knit with (the yarn if you can call it that is Lulu by Patons), the problem with it is when you drop stitches (and you will!) it's hard to see them and pick them up. The good thing is if you drop stitches it's hard to see them ;-) So I'm trying to get this finished in time for Christmas! Fortunately I've got two bonus days as I'm not seeing my mum til the 27th. Stripy snood is slightly on hold (again) but here's this weeks progress!






New Years resolution is going to be to finish some scarves I think!!

:-)

x x x x

On the 10th day of Christmas

I had a cup of tea! :-)

It's been 18 days since I last blogged, I really did stop didn't I after I stopped making hexagons didn't I! I think I'm going to pick those up again in the new year when hopefully I have a few other projects done. I've really missed blogging and all of you lot, you are very cheery and it's nice to be part of this lovely bloggy, knitty, yarny, crochet community :-) x

Stripy snood has been a very slow progress so I've picked it up and I'm trying to have a marathon knit this weekend. I'm hoping to get onto ball 3 of 4 :-)

Here's todays photo:






It's curled quite a bit so is wider than it looks, I'm thinking I might iron it when it's finished but I need to do a bit of research and find out if this will kill it in a good or bad way!











Isn't the colourway devine!? I seriously cannot get enough of this yarn and I'm so glad I went and bought more. Might have been because I'd had a drink or two before visiting the yarn shop though!!

*I thought I'd best add some details of the yarn!  It's Lang Yarns Mille Colori in Pink / Purple (53.  I got it from my LYS Purl City Yarns in Manchester and it was about £4 for a 50g ball.  I'm probably going to use 4 in total but it will be well worth the cost and I never make anything from expensive yarn to it's a little treat to myself.  *grin!*

Soooo do you remember back in October I mentioned I'd been making Christmas decorations but it was way to early to share? Well I almost forgot and now its December!

My friend Jeni had a craft fair so I made some hanging tree deorations, crochet trees, bunting and two amigurumi mugs; the ones I've changed my profile pic too. Jeni's mum & brother bought those (yay, a good home!) and most of the felt decs sold. I was very glad to keep the bunting (and not make more!) and also the trees which I sort of overpriced for a reason... haha! Sorry for the terrible photo, I realise I didn't take any close ups of the tree decorations so this will have to do I'm afraid :-)






I didn't really come away with a "profit" because I bought a lot of over lovely things being sold (a necklace, a canvas, some cake...!) but I also technically didn't spend any money which is totally awesome!

So now that I'm feeling all good and festive, I've started re-watching the Lord of the Rings (it's become a Christmas tradition!) and my tree is up. You want to see?!






I've been hauding Christmas bags for a couple of years and the tins were a Friday lunchtime purchase from Lidl, £3.99 for all three - they might still have some if anyone is looking  interested!






I could go on sharing Christmas things but I think I might save them for another day!

Hope you're having a good advent so far (lots of kinnerton chocolate!) and are looking forward to Christmas as much as me :-)

x x x x

Tuesdays tallies hiatus

It was good while it lasted! I knew when I joined The Gingerbread Girl's One-A-Day project that eventually I'd get sidetracked and I'm finally read to admit it happened a few weeks ago!

I will definitely get back into making my hexagons but for now I want to make other things and I don't want to feel guilty for yet another week of no updates so I'm going to jump ship for a bit but hopefully I'll rejoin!

It's not all bad though, it means I get to make awesome stuff like this!




They're from a pattern I found on Ravelry HERE and they were very easy to make (I was sick while doing it which says a lot!)

They are going to look lovely when I get all my other decorations. Only 9 days to go until decorating day!!

I had a pretty busy weekend just gone, the folks were up from the South and we had a good mooch around the Manchester Christmas Markets. I should have taken some photos, I'm sure there will be loads on Flickr, because they're brilliant! The only two things missing this year were the goulash soup stall and the wooden mushroom man, both stalls I would have made purchases from (probably several of the goulash!)


I also got my sewing machine back out and made this:


I know it's not terribly exciting but I really needed a chalk bag for climbing and I was pretty outraged at how expensive they are! Most are about £13 upwards (I found some for £20+) and it didn't even include chalk!!

So I did what all good creative people do and I had a go myself. My dad (yes my dad!) helped a lot with the sewing, who knew he was actually quite good! I thought I got all that from my mum :-)




We can blame the wonky eyelets on him (even though there wouldn't be any without him!)


Look at the lovely fleecy lining! I know it doesn't really go with the outside but I love it. Soft soft soft :-)

Time to go and pick J up now!

x x x x

The only way is up!

Oh dear. I'm feeling very sorry for myself indeed! Friday at work I felt 100%. Friday evening at home I started to feel a bit off. Saturday morning major meltdown! I've gone into full swing "feverish-cold" (apparantly a 'cold' isn't ill enough but I'm not sure this is the flu!) I'm off work today but hoping (!) to be back tomorrow...

But wait! There's more!

None of this was helped by venturing out on Saturday evening to pick up J from town. Stopped at a set of lights, car shakes and then turns off. I'm out of petrol. This is a TOTAL disaster! I'm sick, I'm tired, in 5 mins I would have been in town, J smiling and driving home to look after me. Instead I'm stuck in the middle of a busy junction!

I had to ask some nice men in a nearby pub to push me into a side street. Horray for chivalry! Boo to the embarassment of being pushed past the large glass windows of said pub with the the chivalrous men's friends cheering them on...

Queue massive breakdown on my part (a lot of tears!) An hour later and one tram ride, one round trip in a taxi to buy a bloody expensive petrol can & petrol, one trip in now working car to get petrol and two promises (from both of us) to never ignore the petrol light again.

Anyway... You didn't come here to hear tales of my woeful automobile filling inadequacy did you! No :-) I'm going to cheer myself up by sharing with you some crochet goodness that I have been working on before feverish-cold struck-me-down.

First up what could be happier than two smiling amigurumi mugs of tea?



Now I know the pattern's called Cafe con Leche (coffee with milk that is!) but when I make it it's tea. Yorkshire to be exact. The pattern is on Ana Paula's blog here and is also in her book Amigurumi World. I've made a few of these before (see my Ravatar!) but I think these are the first two that I've made properly, they're certainly different to #1!

I haven't decided wether to sell these at my friends craft fair tomorrow (if I make it!) keep them (but I can make more) or what else I don't know!

Second up are snowflakes! These are going to help decorate a very special ward where babies and their families will be spending Christmas Day



If you want to get involved please visit the Ravelry topic here - they're very quick & easy to make and would help a lot!

Last but not least I've made some good ripple progress!



I think some sort of magic might be involved, this blanket just seems to work itself out of nowhere! I hardly feel like I've spent any time on it at all. This calls for more baby ripples (two more little ones due next year from friends).

Right, I've just about exhausted myself and I think I need a lie down. I'm serious! Don't mock me ;-) Take care!

z z z z

P.S if you visit Lucy in the Sky's blog here she has a fantastic yarny giveaway!!

Rainbow ripples

I know I shouldn't have... But I've started a new project!




I had all good intentions of finishing my hexagon blanket first (and all the other WIPs!) but Deramores were selling Stylecraft at 10% off and I was running low. I also have a Little Woolie inspired blanket in my mind that was calling out for some Stylecraft so a purchase was very necessary.

I just hadn't planned on starting a ripple on the same day the yarn arrived!

This will be a blanket for my new niece or nephew! J's sister & brother-in-law are having a little one in Spring next year so this will either be an xmas present or a baby shower present. I'm sure I can russle up some other baby goodies if it becomes an xmas present!

Lucy & Heather (Attic 24 & Little Tin Bird) are doing a Ripple Along here so it made sense to join in :-)

My cowl/snood is coming along reeeeally lovely but my camera (ok J's...) needs to be charged so I can't show you. I needed more yarn for it and guess what was opposite the pub I went to on Friday - the yarn shop! This is a total coinsidence I promise, I didn't even pick the pub!

In other news I've recently taken up climbing... I can't honestly tell you why, it never appealed to me before and I'm not a big fan of heights but I thought I'd give it a go - now I'm hooked!

This is where we go:




I've been to the top of the nearside right wall (it's green) and others of a similar height which are about 10m or so. ScArY stuff!

Anywho that's all from me, apart to say (which I totally forgot) my interview went well and I get to keep my job, horray! Hope you're all enjoying your weekends (it's actually sunny here!) and hope you're getting some hooky / knitting time in :-)

x x x x

Tuesdays Tallies: 9

I'm mixing things up a bit and having my Tuesdays Tallies on a Wednesday! I forgot about the clocks changing so when I get home from work now it's too dark to take photo but this was all rectified today at lunch time :-) I now have 61 One-A-Day hexagons which including all those I already had is a grand total of 140!! Woo hoo!

Still no idea when I'll be stopping but soon I hope because I've just taken delivery of another stylecraft batch (two massive bags!) and I'm going to embark on a ripple for some spring time babies!

Click the One-A-Day banner above to visit Caroles site and see other One-A-Day projects. Some people are finished now!

Here's mine :-)













Thanks for visiting and thanks as always for all the lovely comments. When I logged on this evening I had a little surprise - SEVENTY followers! :-o This is incredibly exciting! :-D

x x x x

Fall backwards

Hello! I've decided to have a bit of a makeover but just a very subtle one. It's very much part of my personality that I have come to understand and live with that I have a very short attention span and get very restless!



Like a few weeks ago when I insisted we re-arrange our living room even though we really had everything in the best place (well so we thought)! I can't watch tv or films without picking up my needles, hooks or phone. I like to think of this as "multi-tasking"; I'm just too busy to do one thing at a time!

This is partly the reason I seem to have so many WIPs on the go.

1. Hexagon blanket
2. Moss Stitch scarf
3. Diagonal striped scarf Stripy snood / cowl
4. Cable mittens
5. Fairisle scarf
6. Knitted squares worm / snake
7. My mums pink scarf
8. Snowflakes for babies spending xmas day in hospital

Moss stitch scarf is a slow burner but is going well and if I keep doing a few rows at lunch I should get finished some time this year. I'm not too fussed about fairisle scarf (too many scarves on the go I think) and the knitted squares are almost joined to make a snake / worm toy.

I'll post some snowflakes in November when it's acceptable to show Christmassy things but essentially they are to decorate cots of babies who will be spending Christmas day in hospital. The lovely Lynne on Ravelry has organised it as her baby son had to stay in hospital over Christmas when he was born. If you want to join in just have a look at the thread on Ravelry (you might have to join but it's free and a great website!)

Did you notice number 3? Yep I frogged it again! I loved the stitch but it was way too thin for a scarf and would have been quite useless so I've decided to make a snood / cowl.



I wanted it all in garter stitch but having knitted on a circular needle one sides garter and the other is stocking. Oh well, I have the best of both worlds! I've also decided if I need to buy more yarn (because I think the circles quite large!) then so be it. I will NOT be frogging it again!!!






Something I have finished are these spotty handles for my crochet hooks. None of my hooks have ever had handles before and I wasn't sure I'd be a fan but it's a massive improvement! They are so comfortable to hold I was really surprised :-)




I need to get packing now, I'm going to stay with my Uncle & Auntie for the night - my folks have come up for the weekend and they only live across the Peak District from us. Thinking about it has me very excited! Hope you also have an enjoyable weekend too :-)

x x x x

P.S don't forget that in England the clocks change tomorrow and we get an extra hour in bed (or awake if you prefer!) Remember; Spring forwards, Fall backwards :-)

Tuesdays tallies: 8!

Hi hi hi! Guess what!!! I completely mis-counted my hexagons when I was playing catch up so instead of being 3 days behind I am actually 3 days ahead - WOO HOO!!


:-D

Welcome to Tuesdays Tallies week 8!



I forgot it was Tuesday and nearly stayed late at work, then I remembered and had to rush home to catch the light for photographing! When the clocks change I think I'll have to wait til the weekend :-(

I haven't sewn in my new hexies yet (or edged many of them) so there will be lots of fun this week doing that. I quite enjoy it actually and I sew my ends in as I go along - not because I'm one of those annoying people (!!) but because I use Sarah Londons joining method which you need to use a needle for (so you might as well keep sewing!) and I sew the hexies together. Trust me if it wasn't for this my ends would be very much loose!

So time for a mega catch up then!!


















Please click the One a Day banner to visit Caroles blog and give her encouragement along with the other people joining it - it really is difficult to keep up and we're all trying our best :-)

Right time to pick up J now, I'll be blogging later about more cables and hook handles!!

x x x x